There are many ways to build a greenhouse.

CHARLES A. SANDERS

SHOALS, INDIANA 

For the homesteader, the production of a dependable and healthful food supply is a primary objective. To that end, some consideration will likely be given at one time or another, whether to construct a small greenhouse for homestead use.

A greenhouse can provide countless hours of enjoyment and a steady supply of wholesome food. The benefits of producing your own healthy plants and crops, extending the growing season, and even the possibility of helping to heat your home are certainly possibilities when utilizing the homestead greenhouse. Too, we have been able to make several varieties of our favorite garden plants available for sale to neighbors in the community.

The greenhouse itself comes made in as many styles and of as many materials as there are homesteaders. Each seems to build -- or grow -- their own personality into their greenhouse structure. From elaborate metal and glass pre-manufactured "sunrooms" for the house to homemade plastic film stretched over a crude frame, greenhouses run the gamut in design and construction. Yet each of them fulfill the basic purpose of extending the growing season for those of us who depend upon producing as much of our food as we can.

Our own greenhouse is a combination of recycled and new materials. The frame was obtained from a friend who runs a commercial greenhouse. The 1" metal conduit had served as the ribbing for a quonset-style greenhouse until it was replaced by a larger structure. I obtained a supply of the pre-curved metal tubing and constructed the greenhouse frame, lean-to fashion, on the side of the garage/ workshop. First, a treated 2 x 4 was bolted onto the exterior wall of the garage below the eaves. The foundation consisted of short 4 x 4 posts set in the ground 12 feet from the wall. Treated tongue-and-groove 2 x 6's were secured to the posts to allow for some leveling which was necessary on the slight slope. Two-by-four plates were applied, and holes were bored in both the top wall plate and the base plate to accommodate the conduit. As each rib was set in place and "fine tuned" to the correct arc, a small hole was drilled in each of the plates, through the conduit, and a galvanized nail was used to secure the rib. Next, the door and window openings were framed, using measurements to accept the used door and window frames which I had obtained for a few dollars at a recent auction. Caulking was applied to the door and window trim as each was set in place to help to seal the fixture.

The plastic covering was a result of some experimentation. First, some 6-mil. clear plastic film was applied, but could not withstand the onslaught of the elements. It gave way in about eight months. The plastic currently in use is designed for greenhouse use and was obtained from a supplier of the material strictly for homestead-type greenhouses. It consists of a 7-mil. woven plastic "fabric" with a 1-mil. layer of solid plastic bonded to each side. The woven texture gives much resistance to ripping or tearing and the solid layers bonded to each side help greatly in the weatherproofing. Further, the whole fabric is treated to resist ultraviolet degradation, a factor which normally contributes to the short life-span of plastic films in greenhouse applications. For more information on this material, contact Northern Greenhouse Sales, Box 42, Neche, ND 58265.

Inside the greenhouse, scrap lumber was used to build the benches. Heavy wire shelves which had been discarded by the local grocery store were also added to hold more trays of seedlings. The germination bed was constructed by first framing up the sides with 1-inch lumber. A sheet of Styrofoam insulation board was cut to fit the bed (made just slightly wider than the seed germination trays are long.) Next, a one-half inch layer of sand was spread over the Styrofoam. A heat cable was arranged on the sand, and was then covered with about an inch more sand. The cable does a nice job of heating the seed trays and the sand acts as a heat sink, absorbing and distributing the heat. The thermostatically controlled heat cable maintains a good germination temperature for most varieties of vegetables we grow.

Along the front wall, short stacks of used tires were filled with sand. Atop each stack was placed another tire with the sidewall removed. Cutting the sidewalls from the tires was surprisingly easy, using a utility knife. It greatly increases the amount of available planting area in each tire stack. The top tire was then filled with compost and soil and seeded in lettuce, spinach, or whatever. They also make a fine planter for a late tomato plant. The dark color of the tires serves to absorb heat and the sand contained in each stack helps to store it.

We have not made use of the greenhouse the entire year 'round, but have had great success extending the growing season. Since it is attached to my garage and shop, I utilized an existing window opening, the woodstove in the garage, and window fan, and a timer to add heat to the greenhouse. By keeping a fire going in the garage -- which I often do anyway -- and timing the fan to turn on as the day begins to cool, we have been able to pick the last tomato off of the vine on Christmas Eve!

As for the growing of plants for sale, I will offer the following comments. We have found that, for right now at least, the growing of vegetable plants for sale to the public is not compatible with our plans. We just finished a brief but busy season selling vegetable and flower plants which we produced in our small greenhouse and coldframes. First, we found that we hardly broke even, if we count our labor at anything close to minimum wage. Second, the size of our greenhouse -- a typical size, well-suited to production for the home -- was not large enough to produce plants on the scale needed for even the rural area we live in. Third, we found that we neglected our own plants and planting while trying to keep a supply of plants available for sale. Essentially, we were too busy trying to take care of plants for everyone else, and ended up not taking care of our own. Fourth, I simply didn't care for all the traffic coming in and out of our place. If you open your place up for business, you pretty well open the door to anyone who may wish to enter your property.

Now, all of the above points have some type of solution, I know, but in the near future, anyway, our family is going to concentrate our efforts to producing our own plants -- with a few extras for family and friends -- and food in the greenhouse.

Building and working in your own small greenhouse is a very rewarding way to spend some time. Remember, there are as many ways to build a greenhouse as there are homesteaders. The main thing is to use what you have or can readily obtain, adapt the structure to your own circumstances and then use the dickens out of it! You will be rewarded with fresh vegetables nearly year 'round, healthy and vigorous garden plants, and the satisfaction of knowing that you're another step closer to self-sufficiency.

For more information:

The Food and Heat Producing Solar Greenhouse by Bill Yanda and Rick Fisher, John Muir Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 613, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501.

The Solar Greenhouse Book edited by James C. McCullagh, Rodale Press, Box 6, Emmaus, PA 18099-0006.

The Guide to Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour, Hearst Publications, New York.